The present invention relates to a real-time control process for a controller of an industrial technical process, and to a real-time operating process for a computing device.
Nothing in the following discussion of the state of the art is to be construed as an admission of prior art.
Controllers for industrial technical processes are known in the art. Depending on the particular application, these controllers can be implemented as numerical controllers (CNC) or as stored-program controllers (SPS). These controllers operate with a cycle time in the millisecond range or below, and typically execute the following steps:                A number of measuring units measures state signals of the process, whereby the totality of the measured state signals represents an image of the process.        Each of the measuring units transmits the state signals measured by that measuring unit to a single logical unit.        The logic unit executes a control program and determines based on the image of the process a control state for the process, which includes control signals for a number of controllers.        The logic unit transmits to each of the controllers the control signals intended for the respective controller.        Each of the controllers effects of the process according to the control signals transmitted true the corresponding controller.        
The hardware of conventional devices to execute the control program is located in close proximity to the process. Accordingly, the logic unit must be able to always realize on-site the full functionality of the real-time application. If a greater functionality is required, then it becomes often necessary to replace the logic unit. It can also be a complex process to distribute a new version of control software, in particular the real-time core, to all installed controllers.
It would therefore be desirable and advantageous to provide an improved real-time control process for a controller of an industrial technical process, and an improved real-time operating process for a computing device, which obviate prior art shortcomings and can be operated from a remote location.